In Memoriam - Bobbie Clark Rapp

In Memoriam

Bobbie Clark Rapp

April 02, 1940 - December 08, 2020 Bobbie Clark Rapp, 80, of Le Mars, Iowa and formerly of Pahrump, Nevada, passed away on Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, SD. Her family will be having private services at a later date.

Bobbie Carole Barnes was born on April 2, 1940 to Marion Earl and Shirley Francis (Holcomb) Barnes. She was born and raised in southern California and attended Garden Grove High School. After graduating high school, she worked for many years as a switchboard operator for the Pacific Bell Telephone Company.

Bobbie was united in marriage to Armond Clark in 1964 and later divorced. They purchased an old dairy farm in Corona, California. Bobbie built that into a thriving horse boarding and training facility where she specialized in Tennessee Walking Horses. She was a pioneer in the horse training industry as a woman in those days. She attended horse shows in California and Tennessee, she was the first TWH group to ride in the Rose Parade every year and she was a judge for the FOSH Organization and traveled to horse shows and clinics all over the United States. Many people today that are successful horse trainers were her one time students that she taught to ride. She loved horses and worked hard for her success.

Bobbie was united in marriage to Robert Rapp in 1981 and they were married for 30 years. In 1994, they moved to Pahrump, Nevada and Bobbie obtained her real estate license and began working for Century 21. While there she won many awards and pins for her sales records. Bobbie later became a real estate broker and owned and operated her own real estate firm, Legacy Trails.

Bobbie enjoyed bowling with her friends and was on the local bowling team. She was an accomplished bowler and was in the 500 club. She had many dogs and horses that were loved and cherished. Boots, Finale, Pure Gold, Shadow, the Schipperke dogs, Sparticus, only to name a few. Her dogs Chance and Precious are living on the farm in Iowa. She retired in 2019 due to her health and moved to Le Mars to be closer to family.

Bobbie left behind many friends in Nevada: Leah and Ty, Roger, Jerry, Cindy, Terri, Shirley, Janet, Lori, Carol, Howard and Laura, and many others.

Bobbie is survived by her brother, Edward Earl Barnes and his wife, Crystal, of Post Falls, Idaho; niece, Dena (Scott) Plendl of Le Mars; nephews: Bryan (Tara) Barnes of Huntington Beach, California, and Eric Barnes of Tucson, Arizona; and numerous great nieces and nephews. Bobbie is preceded in death by her parents and husband, Robert ‘Bob’ Rapp.

From Dianne Little - One of the original IJA judges, Bobbie was a dancer, bowler, horse trainer, instructor, stable owner, businesswoman and a person who enjoyed life. I met Bobbie in 2001 at the FOSH Nationals in Denver. Since that initial meeting, Bobbie and I spent time inside and outside the ring. Bobbie held strong opinions about horses. We did not always agree, but I never doubted that Bobbie’s opinions were based on experience and respect for the horse.

She promoted and was involved with sound TWH organizations in California in the 1970’s. She told me she became an IJA judge because she wanted to make a difference for the Tennessee Walking Horse.

This is the biography Bobbie submitted for the FOSH website.

“I started showing horses at the age of four. Through the teen years, I showed Quarter Horses, (Western on

the rail, equitation); reining, (worked for Ronnie Richards); Thoroughbreds, (English rail work, equitation, and over fences on hunters): Arabians; Saddlebreds (both three-gaited and five-gaited); and worked in polo.

“After I was injured in a car wreck and unable to ride walk-trot horses for any length of time, I remembered a ride on a Walking Horse. I bought my first Walking Horse in 1964.

“I opened the boarding and training Silly Filly Stable in 1965 in Corona, Calif. After an apprenticeship, I trained both Walking Horses and Fox Trotters and taught the owners how to ride.”

Very factual, but it does not describe the Bobbie her students and fellow judges knew. This is what others remember about Bobbie.

“Bobbie would always tell you like it was. I loved when Bobbie would dance in the barn aisle – how she loved to dance! She taught me how to work and breathe horses. When I was in high school, she hired me to clean stalls all night long during the summer and then feed in the morning and then work horses. It kept me out of a lot of trouble!”

“Bobbie was a force of nature! I met her in the early 70’s and learned so much from her and Owen Daniels about Walking Horses. Decades later, it was surreal to judge the International show in St. Louis with her.” “I laughed with and learned from Bobbie - two of the most important things in life. Thank you dear lady. Keep knocking down those pins!!!!”

“She was a mentor to me.”

“She gave me the courage and confidence to follow my dream with horses.”

“The best education was ring stewarding for Bobbie.”

“She taught me so much about life and horses. You didn’t just show up at the barn and jump on your horse. You groomed them, bathed them and learned all about their anatomy and conformation. And boy she demanded you ride them in good form!”

“She inspired me as a judge and made me determined to win!”

“Many times, she would ride for the best of show class. Watching her, learning from her was a true gift. I am blown away. May she ride with the angels for eternity.”

The last clinic Bobbie attended was in 2016 at the LA Equestrian Centre in Burbank, Calif. It seems fitting the show was organized by NPWHA, one of the first Sound Horse Organizations. It was traditional that after a clinic Bobbie attended, the agenda included a lively game of bowling orchestrated by “bsillyfilly” who even brought her own ball.